Broadband: Rural Areas

Anne Milton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans he has to improve the telecommunications infrastructure in rural areas to extend the provision of high speed broadband.

Patrick McFadden: The Budget confirmed the Government's plans to deliver a Universal Service for broadband up to 2 Mbps by 2012. This will allow virtually everyone to benefit from broadband services. The Budget also underlines the Government's commitment to helping business take full advantage of the opportunities offered in this area by announcing a review of Ofcom's powers and duties to ensure it can strike the right balance between supporting competition and encouraging investment. As you are aware, Universal Service and Next Generation Access are also key aspects of the Digital Britain report, which will be published shortly.
	The Government will also be carrying out research on broadband 'Not spots' under the cross-Government paper "Delivering Digital Inclusion—An Action Plan for Consultation" with the objective of putting information into the hands of local communities to enable them to manage the risks, and realise the opportunities of Next Generation Access locally and regionally, where they identify a need and want to activate their own solutions. This will also cover the devolved Administrations of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Business: Carbon Emissions

Howard Stoate: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what  (a) practical support and  (b) funding opportunities are available to small and medium-sized businesses seeking to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide they emit.

Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
	Government provide a range of support to help small and medium businesses reduce their carbon emissions. These include:
	  (a) Practical support, in particular through the Government-funded Carbon Trust (CT), which provides advice via its website, specific web tools, publications, an advice line and face-to-face surveys for smaller business; and advice through Business Link (www.businesslink.gov.uk), and the regional development agencies. We are working to improve ease of access to this support via Business Link as part of the Solutions for Business programme.
	  (b) The Carbon Trust administers two schemes which provide financial support for small and medium-sized businesses to make energy efficient investments: an interest free loan scheme for investments in energy efficient equipment, and the Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme which provides businesses that invest in designated energy efficient equipment with enhanced tax relief. The Chancellor announced an additional £100 million of investment for the loan scheme in the April 2009 Budget.

Civil Servants

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the  (a) job title,  (b) main responsibilities,  (c) Civil Service pay band and  (d) annual salary of (i) Gez Sagar, (ii) Will Parkes, (iii) Peter Power, (iv) Stephen Adams and (v) Fiona Cookson are; whether each receives any payments from other sources; and whether the post filled by each was advertised externally.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 24 April 2009
	Gez Sagar is a communications consultant working on a project to coordinate economic communications across government departments. Stephen Adams is employed on a one year fixed term contract as Strategy and Policy Adviser to the Secretary of State. Fiona Cookson has been appointed deputy head of news. Peter Power is Press Secretary to the Secretary of State seconded to the civil service on a one year fixed term from the European Commission. We do not release details of individual salaries. The EC makes good Peter Power's salary to EC level. No one else named receives payment from any other source. All have been appointed in accordance with the Civil Service (Amendment) (No 2) Order in Council 2008 which regulates recruitment into the Civil Service.
	Will Parkes is not a BERR employee but is seconded into Government on a two month fixed term placement to share knowledge end expertise of the private sector.
	These are all civil servant not special adviser posts.